Builder Homesite, Inc. And Suppliers Form New Consortium

by Melissa Morman

Building industry leaders announced today the formation of a new consortium of Home Builders and suppliers, New Home Technologies, Inc., dedicated to improving design options management for the entire homebuilding industry. By creating a single, industry-owned solution, New Home Technologies will deliver the most comprehensive options marketing for consumers resulting in more upgrade sales for both builders and suppliers.

"The consortium is what makes this product possible," said Ian McCarthy, CEO of Beazer Homes. "Only by working together to design a product based on the business needs of both builders and suppliers can we create a tool that really works for everyone."

Envision, a complete suite of options management tools, will aggregate rich-media product marketing content from suppliers so that builders can create online customized option selections for buyers. Suppliers benefit from a unified data standard and the ability to market directly to consumers. Builders benefit from a single source for product data and a more successful and efficient options management process. The ultimate beneficiary is the consumer, who will enjoy the convenience and efficiency of browsing design options online in a magazine-style format before making their final selections. The first Envision products will be released by year-end.

Tom Halford, general manager of field sales, North American region at Whirlpool Corporation, is a strong proponent. "It's going to help builders give homebuyers a superior shopping experience. Customers will clearly understand the value differences between products/brands and make more informed decisions."

New Home Technologies is being formed as a joint-venture subsidiary of Builder Homesite, Inc., the thriving Home Builder consortium. It builds on the success and experience of Builder Homesite and adds the strength of major building product suppliers. The new consortium is comprised of Builder Homesite consortium builders including: Beazer Homes, Capital Pacific Homes, David Weekley Homes, KB Home, Lennar Corporation, Morrison Homes, Standard Pacific and Toll Brothers Homes, along with suppliers like Georgia-Pacific, Hearth & Home Technologies, Honeywell, Masco Corporation, Owens-Corning, Progress Lighting, Square D/Schneider Electric, Therma-Tru Doors, Weyerhaeuser Company, Whirlpool Corporation and York International, Inc. New Home Technology suppliers will be displaying more information on Envision at their booths at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, January 19 - 22, 2004.

"The success of Builder Homesite demonstrates the ability of an industry consortium to conquer problems and move the entire industry forward. By working cooperatively, builders were able to revolutionize the way new homes are marketed online through NewHomeSource.com," said Tim Costello, president and CEO of Builder Homesite. "Now we're using the same consortium approach to enable the building industry to break down the barriers to effective marketing of options and upgrades."

About Builder Homesite, Inc. and New Home Technologies Builder Homesite, Inc. was founded in 2000 by 32 of the nation's largest Home Builders to provide improved marketing and technology solutions for the home building industry, including the consumer website www.NewHomeSource.com. New Home Technologies, a subsidiary consortium of new home builders and product suppliers, is being formed to create an integrated options management product, Envision, that works for all industry participants. The consortium model, which puts ownership in the hands of the industry, results in solutions that address the real needs of the business users.